Battery terminal clamp



Dec. 1,1953 J. M. JOHNSON 2,661,463

BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP Filed Sept. 20, 1951 4 I I II J J Mix 5 v24INVENTOR.

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/) TORNEH Patented Dec. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENTiiOFFICE John M.Johnson, Shawnee, Kans., assignor of one-half to Ratio R. Beane, KansasCity, Mo.

Application September 20, 1951', Serial No. 247,451 I This inventionrelates to battery terminal clamps and refers more particularly toclamps of the type. used on storage batteries employed in automotivevehicles, aircraft, tractors, motor boats, and other instances'employingflinternal combustion engines or batteries for ignition,power, communication or control.

An object of this invention is to provide a clamp of simple constructionwhich may easily be made to engage and disengage a battery terminal.

Another object is to provide an improved type of battery clamp which isnot bulky or complicated.

A further object is to provide a clamp the jaws of which areautomatically spread to disengage the clamp from the terminal when theclamping bolt or screw is loosened.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the instantspecification and are to be read in conjunction therewith there areshown embodiments of the invention and in the various views, referencenumerals are used to indicate various parts:

Fig. 1 is a, top view of a preferred type of clamp or fitting whichembodies the invention and shows the clamping arms gripped around thebattery terminal,

Fig. 2 is a top view of the type shown in Fig. 1 with parts in sectionshowing the clamping arms spread,

Fig. 3 is a side view of the clamp in Fig.1,

Fig. 4 is a view of the clamp shown in Fig. 1 taken along the lines 44of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view showing the spreading band encirclingthe bolt and before being seized thereon,

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 6-6 of Fig. 1 inthe direction of the arrows showing the manner of seizing the band tothe bolt,

Fig. '7 is a. top view of a modified type of fitting showing theclamping arms contracted around the terminal,

Fig. 8 is a top view of the modified type of fitting showing theclamping arms expanded, and

Fig. 9 is a side view of the, modified type of fitting taken along theline 99 of Fig. 7 in the direction of the arrows.

The invention as hereinafter described in its preferred form consists ofan ordinary electrical cable I to the end of which is attached a clamp 2used to fasten the cable to a battery terminal 3, said clamp havingclamping arms 4 and 5. Near the ends of the arms are registering holes 6and I, one of which is internally threaded. As is 1 Claim. (Cl.339'-226) seen in Fig. 4, the clamping arms are drawn together' aboutthe terminal by means'of the threaded bolt 8 which fits the registeringholes with the headend 8a abutting the outside surface of the unthreadedarm-4. Seized or otherwise fixedly at- I tac'hed to the bolt shaftbetween the clamping arms, a metal ring 9 is loosely placed on the bolt.

The threads of the bolt 8 then engage the threaded hole in arm 5 and thebolt is screwed in until the clamping arms are drawn into tightengagement with the battery post. The metal ring is then fixedly seizedto the bolt between the clamping arms as shown in Fig. 6. To remove thepreferred type of battery fitting after the ring has been seized on thebolt, the bolt is backed off or unscrewed. In the unscrewing operationthe metal ring 9 abuts the inner surface of unthreaded arm 4 and theclamping arms are thereby spread releasing the battery terminal andpermitting easy removal of the clamp from the terminal.

The fitting shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9 illustrates a modified form,differing from the foregoing in that the metal ring 9 is in this typeseized to the bolt end outside the threaded arm 5. On the inner face ofthe unthreaded arm 4 is a cavity ll into which the end of pin 12 sets.This pin also fits a hole drilled through arm 5 parallel and immediately adjacent to the bolt. The head [2a is located to abut theunderside of ring 9 when the bolt is unscrewed.

To position the modified form of fitting on a battery post, the clampingarms of the fitting are first positioned around the post. The bolt isinserted through unthreaded arm 4 and its end is screwed through thethreaded arm 5. The fitting is then tightened until the clamping armstightly engage the battery post. The pin 12 is then inserted through thehole in arm 5 and its tip is seated in the cavity l l. The ring 9 isthen seized to the bolt so its inside surface will abut the pin head I2a when the bolt is unscrewed. To remove the fitting from the batterypost, the bolt is unscrewed. In the unscrewing operation ring 9 abutsthe pin head l2a and in doing so spreads the arms of the clamp. Theclamp may then be easily removed from the terminal.

Thus there is provided a battery terminal It will be understood thatcertain features and 3 sub-combinations are of utllitrandmaybe-"employedwithout reference to 'otherfteaturesand subcombinations. This iscontemplated .by and is within the scope of the claim.

As many possible embodiments maytbezma'de of the invention withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matterherein set forth-or shown in the-accompanying drawings is' to beinterpreted as. illustrativeand not in alimiting:sense.

Having thus described; my invention l claim:

A batteryterminal:clamp comprising atsplit 25 "2,154,507

'4 arm fitting with registering holes therein, one of said holesinternally threaded, a bolt adapted to draw the arms into electricalcontact with the battery terminal, said bolt threaded to engage thethreaded hole in one of said arms, means operable with the unscrewing ofthe bolt adapted to exert an expanding force against the inside suriace'of the unthreadedwarm 'to spread the arms, said=meanscomprising a ringseized to the bolt outside the threaded arm, a pin having an enlargedhead, said pin piercing the threaded arm adjacent the bolt with itsopposite and bearing against the inside surface of the unthreaded "-arm,said'pin headengaged by the ring seized to the'bolt-on unscrewing of thebolt to spread said arms.

JOHN M. JOHNSON.

"References Gited :in the file of' this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSName Date Goldman .Nov. 6, 71934 Hunefeld .Apr. 18, 1939 Number

